The expansion of Nueva School in 2007 came with lots of green expectations.

The private K-8 school in Hillsborough wanted its three new buildings to feature state-of-the-art green design. So they have solar panels, living roofs, dual-flush toilets, insulation made of recycled denim, and ceiling fans instead of air conditioning.

But the school didn’t just want green buildings. It wanted to teach its students about sustainability – and that requires information.

As part of its expansion, the school installed a new energy-monitoring system that goes online next week.

“We like to rip the cover from things,” said Fred Estes, Nueva’s lower-school science specialist.

Agilewaves, a Palo Alto start-up, has wired in sensors that measure electricity, gas and water use in each classroom. Other factors – air quality, temperature, the carbon footprint of energy used – also can be displayed. Staff and students will be able to see the impact of what they do on a Web site, said Diane Rosenberg, the school’s executive director.

A good example of what will be possible is the two living roofs – 2,575 square feet of native grasses above the cafeteria and a 7,500-square-foot plot of six native species atop the library, where California poppies were blooming this week. Monitors will track soil moisture, temperature and humidity, said David Brock, Agilewaves’ chief technology officer.

Agilewaves – Brock, Chief Executive Peter Sharer and two others founded the company after working at NASA – has installed systems in about a half-dozen homes so far.

One of those belongs to Darrell Anderson of Palo Alto. An engineer, he’s become preoccupied with the available data. “It’s kind of interesting if we’re throwing a party to see how much energy we use doing food preparation vs. when the guests are there,” he said.

He was so impressed with Agilewaves’ technology that he invested in the company.

Neither the school nor the company wanted to say how much they spent, but a residential system can cost $3,000 to $25,000, Sharer said.